Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said there was no question of accepting any third-party mediation on Kashmir.
He was replying to the demands of the Opposition seeking clarification if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked US President Donald Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
The matter that had rocked both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday was raised again on Wednesday during Question Hour with the entire Opposition led by the Congress shouting slogans and storming the Well of the House asking Modi to respond.
Rajanth said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had already clarified that there was no talk on Kashmir when Modi had met Trump at Osaka in June.
“The statement of Jaishankar is authentic as he was present at the meeting,” the Defence Minister said, adding that India would deal with the Kashmir issue only as per the Simla agreement that bars any third-party intervention. “It is a matter of national pride for us and we will not compromise on that. When we talk to Pakistan it will not just be on Kashmir but also on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” he said.
The Opposition walked out in protest saying that only the PM should speak on it.
Earlier, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary said, “We want to hear from the PM as to what did he discuss with Trump.”
